December 27, 2009
I'm still waiting for my admissions decision from Clemson, but while I wait I'll be able to see another Clemson football game as they take on Kentucky tonight. Here's my take on the game:
Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl, 8:30pm on ESPN
Kentucky Wildcats (7-5) vs. Clemson Tigers (8-5)
Clemson lost its shot at the Orange Bowl by losing the ACC Championship Game and end up here for a 2006 rematch with Kentucky that the Wildcats won. Kentucky has won three bowl games in a row including the 2006 win over Clemson. Clemson's CJ Spiller should play with a chip on his shoulder after not being selected as a Heisman finalist. Spiller is the top runningback eligible for the NFL Draft and the most explosive player in the country and there’s not much to speak of in Kentucky’s run defense except middle linebacker Micah Johnson. Spiller ran for 233 yards against Georgia Tech in the ACC title game and Kentucky has been run over all year.
One interesting thing stat is that Kentucky has not allowed a kick return for a touchdown this season, while Spiller has returned four kicks and one punt to the endzone giving him an FBS record eight for his career.
Kentucky counters Spiller’s ability with their own all-purpose player: Randall Cobb. Cobb, the former quarterback, has 14 total touchdowns averaging over 11 yards per catch and over six yards per carry. There is also talk that junior quarterback Mike Hartline could return for this game giving Kentucky a more experienced leader on the field. I haven’t heard confirmation of Hartline’s status, but it is possible he could get the start.Whoever starts at quarterback will have to deal with Clemson's defense and be aware of edge rusher Ricky Sapp who I've seen make some key sacks this year.
Kentucky also still has to deal with the overall team speed of Clemson. To go along with Spiller, Clemson has Jacoby Ford at wideout and also watch out for freshman runningback Andre Ellington who relieves Spiller at times. Clemson isn’t afraid to hand the ball off to him and I have seen him make some big plays this year and he averages over seven yards per carry. Clemson freshman QB Kyle Parker has gotten better over the course of the season and the reports are out there that this could be his final football game if he opts to play professional baseball so there’s no doubt that Parker wants to have a good game. In the Kentucky secondary I like corner Trevard Lindley, been battling some injuries, but he could make an impact play or two, but overall I think Dabo Swinney will get Clemson fired up for this one and take the win.
Prediction: Clemson 30, Kentucky 17
Result: Clemson 21, Kentucky 13
CJ Spiller battled a turf toe since midseason, but he would never quit. The injury apparently bothered Spiller throughout the game as he was seen limping around in the second half, but he refused to come out. Why? "Because I love Clemson too much," he said. The crowd paid tribute to Spiller and for everything he's done for the Clemson program by chanting "C-J, C-J" during an injury timeout near the end of the game.
It's sad to see Spiller leave college football now but he has a bright, bright future in the NFL and leaves as one of the most accomplished college football players of all-time and one of my all-time favorite players. The last time I felt like this about seeing a favorite player complete his time on the college fields was last year with West Virginia quarterback Pat White, and I'm sure I'll feel this way for Texas quarterback Colt McCoy in early January.
Credit to Kentucky though, they played a hard game especially defensively, but the offense did nothing in the second half after moving the ball well in the first two quarters. They did a good job of making the game plan around stopping Spiller both in the return game as well as running the ball. For the most part, Spiller was shut down as the Kentucky defense pushed through the young Clemson offensive line, but with the game on the line, Spiller capitalized on a Kentucky fumble as he ran eight yards to the endzone to become the only player in the country to score a touchdown in every game this season.
Still, Kentucky was only down 21-13 and plenty of time left in the fourth quarter, but Deandre McDaniel continued to make huge tackles as he did all game long as Clemson's defense forced Kentucky into an east-to-west moving offense in the second half and also kept Kentucky's all-purpose star Randall Cobb from making any big plays. Ricky Sapp didn't make much of an impact in the game as I thought he would for Clemson but he made what could be the biggest tackle of the game as Kentucky freshman quarterback Morgan Newton tried to run for the first down on a 4th-and-8 and Sapp chased him down and stopped Newton barely a yard short of the first down with a little over five minutes to go. It was all Clemson ball possession from there as the Tigers fed the ball to Spiller, who on that final possession, moved up to #2 all-time in all-purpose yards.
The freight train has to keep moving and Clemson's got a good back in Andre Ellington for the next three years, but college football will miss CJ Spiller. All-Time Great.
My Player of the Game: CJ Spiller, Clemson Runningback
Honorable Mention: DeAndre McDaniel, Clemson Safety
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